Sill plate anchor device

ABSTRACT

An anchor device for securing a wood sill plate on masonry foundation or wall. The anchor device has a pair of side members which are joined together at the lower end and which are spaced apart at the upper end and the device is substantially V-shaped. The anchor device includes a bridge member which extends between the side members adjacent the upper end of the device. The bridge member maintains a predetermined distance between the side members. The ends of the respective side members include lateral portions which overlap the bridge member and the sill plate is received in the space between the lateral portions and the bridge member. Nail holes are provided in the lateral portions of the side members to permit the anchor device to be secured to the sill plate by nails. When installed, the lower portion of the anchor device is enveloped by the concrete of the foundation or wall.

tates tnt 11 1 1 1 ingston Aug. '7, W73

[ SlllLL PLATE ANCHOR DEVllCE Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott [75]Inventor: George W. Kingston, Chevy Chase, Assistant Exami'ler carlFriedman Attorney-Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis 73 ssi n e: Timber inerin m1 l 1 A g e washin iifi, Die. E 1511 ABSTRACT [22] Filed; 17 19 Ananchor device for securing a wood sill plate on masonry foundation orwall. The anchor device has a pair [21] Appl. No.: 209,635 of sidemembers which are joined together at the lower end and which are spacedapart at the upper end and 52 us. c1 52/714, 52/295, 52/369 the deviceis Substantially p The anchor device 51 1m. (:1 ElMb 1 41 includes abridge member which extends between the [58] Field of Search 52/712,713, 714, Side members adjacent the pp end of the device- 52/295, 359370, 5 5 The bridge member maintains a predetermined distance betweenthe side members. The ends of the re- 5 R f r Cited spective sidemembers include lateral portions which UNITED STATES PATENTS overlap thebridge member and the sill plate is received in the space between thelateral portions and the bridge 3392: member. Nail holes are provided inthe lateral portions 5/1908 52/295 of the side members to permit theanchor device to be 1578:9 17 3/1926 Alber 52/370 Secured to the IFlateby when installed the 3,422,585 1/1969 Dismukes 52 713 lower Portion ofthe anchor device is enveloped y the concrete of the foundation or wall.

14 Claims/5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEL AUG 7 I975 SHEEI 1 [IF 3 INVEN TOR.GEORGE W. KINGSTON BY gar/1 8', how, lwwm Mat 4Z3 ATTORNEYS SILL PLATEANCHOR DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates tobuilding construction, and more particularly to devices for securingwood components to masonry structures.

In constructing a wood frame building, it is customary practice to poura concrete foundation wall or concrete slab, or to lay a wall of cinderblocks, and then to secure a wood sill plate on the slab, or at the topof the foundation wall. One method of securing the sill plate to themasonry structure is to place anchor bolts upright in the wet concrete.Holes are drilled in the sill plate in alignment with the anchor bolts.When the concrete has hardened, the sill plate is applied over theanchor bolts and secured in place by a washer and nut on each anchorbolt.

One disadvantage of using anchor bolts is that holes must be drilled inthe sill plate at the proper locations to be aligned with the bolts whenthe sill plate is properly positioned on the slab or wall. The problemof alignment becomes more critical when many anchor bolts are used tosecure a long sill plate in plate. If the holes are not properlyaligned, the sill plate cannot be placed at the desired position. Often,a skilled carpenter is required to measure the location of the holes forthe anchor bolts. Also, to overcome the need for making criticalmeasurements, the carpenter may drill large diameter holes to permitlateral movement of the sill plate relative to the anchor bolts. Itwould then be necessary to use large diameter washers to bridge thediameter of the holes. If the nuts on the anchor bolts are not securelytightened, the sill plate may shift relative to the slab or wall onwhich it rests.

' Attempts have been made to substitute connectors of various types forthe anchor bolts. One type of anchor device that had been proposed is inthe form of an elongated sheet metal device. The body portion isintended to be embedded in the concrete in alignment with the middle ofthe sill plate in the same manner as an anchor bolt. At the upper end ofthe device, a pair of straps project outwardly in opposite directionsalong the bottom of the sill plate and are wrapped around the lateraledges of the sill plate, and are secured in place by nails. In the eventof an upward force on the sill plate, which might be caused, forexample, by heavy winds, the straps under the sill plate do noteffectively resist this upward movement. This problem is aggrevated bythe fact that the metal straps are bent to the desired shape by theworkman as he places them in the wet concrete. If the bending is donecarelessly, then the straps cannot fit tightly around the sill plate anda secure anchor is not obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the deficiencies of prioranchoringdevices, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved sillplate anchoring device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an anchoring devicewhich securely holds a sill plate on a masonry structure.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an anchoringdevice which may be assembled by unskilled workers, but which,nevertheless, is accurately formed in the proper shape to receivestandard sizes of sill plates.

Another object of this invention is to provide an anchoring device whichmay be conveniently and accurately positioned in wet concrete.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the invention by a sill plate anchor which has a pair of side memberswhich are formed in a generally V-shape. The pointed lower end of anchorfacilitates insertion of the anchor in wet concrete. At the upper end ofthe anchor, a bridge member extends between the side members to hold theside members at the proper spacing corresponding to the width of a sillplate that is to be used with the anchor. The upper ends of the sidemembers are provided with nail holes for securing the side members tothe sill plate. The side members include lateral portions which overlapthe bridge member, so that the sill plate is held between the lateralportions and the bridge member. Preferably, the bridge member is bentoutwardly from one of the side members and is connected with the otherside member. In one embodiment of the invention, the side members areseparate strips which are joined together at the pointed end of thedevice. In another embodiment of the invention, the side members areformed from a single strip which is bent approximately midway of itslength to form the V-shaped device. Preferably, the same strip can beused for forming either embodiment of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These preferred embodiments of theinvention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the sill anchorplate as installed in a masonry structure;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the anchoring device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the blank from which the first and secondembodiment of the anchoring device are formed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embidment of the anchoringdevice according to this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the second embodiment of theanchoring device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. I, afoundation wall constructed of structural building blocks 2 isillustrated. These conventional blocks 2 are hollow and the interior ofthe blocks is filled with concrete. The anchor device of this invention,in accordance with the first preferred embodiment is indicated at 4 inFIG. 1. The anchor device 4 secures a wood sill plate 6 at the top ofthe wall fonned by the blocks 2.

The anchor device 4 includes a pair of side members 8. The side members8 are joined together by the interlocking of a key M on one side memberwith a slot 12 in the other side member. A blank 14 from which the sidemembers 8 are formed is illustrated in FIG. 3. The key is provided atone end of the blank M and the slot 12 is provided at the opposite endof the blank 14. In order to form the anchor device 4, as shown in FIG.I, a pair of blanks M are arranged with the slot 12 in one blankreceiving the key MI in the other blank. The blanks M are then arrangedin the shape of a V to form the side members as shown in FIG. 2. Thejunction between the side members 8 is located at the bottom pointed endof the V.

The side members 8 are joined together at the upper end by a bridgemember 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the bridge member 16 has been cut fromthe blank strip by a longitudinal slot 18 and is bent outwardly along atransverse bend line 20. The bridge member 16 includes a narrowprojection 22 and a transverse shoul der 24.

The projection 22 extends through a hole 26 formed in the other sidemember 8, as shown in FIG. I. The projection 22 is bent downwardly whilethe inside surface of the member 8 engages the shoulder 24, therebysecurely holding the bridge member and the other side member together.

A substantially rigid anchor device is formed by the key and slotconnection at the lower end of the device and by the bridge member atthe upper end of the device. Since the transverse edge of the sidemember 8 adjacent the key bears against the flat face of the oppositeside member 8, the side members are unable to twist relative to eachother when they are secured together at an acute angle, as shown in FIG.2. The bridge member 16 forms a secure connection between the upper endsof the side members 8 to maintain the members at the proper spacing.

The side members 8 each extend above the bridge member 16 and includelateral portions 28 and 30 which extend inwardly toward each other. Thesides between the portions 28 and 30 and the bridge member 16 areindicated at 32 and 34 respectively. The sill plate 6 is receivedbetween the sides 32 and 34 and rests on member 16. Preferably, therectangular space formed by the bridge member 16, the upright sides 32and 34, and the lateral portions 28 and 30 is substantially the same asthe rectangular cross section of the sill plate 6, so that the plate isfirmly anchored and is unable to move laterally or vertically. Nails 36are driven through holes formed in the sides 32 and 34 and in thelateral portions 28 and 30 to prevent longitudinal movement of the sillplate relative to the anchor.

The anchor device 4 may be adjusted for securing a narrower sill plate6. For example, if the anchoring device as assembled in FIGS. 1 and 2 isthe appropriate size for securing a sill plate that is nominally 2inches by 6 inches, and it is desired to use the anchor device with asill plate that is nominally 2 inches by 4 inches, the only changerequired is to substitute the shorter bridge member 38 (FIG. 3) for thelonger bridge member 16. The bridge member 38 is formed in the blank 14by a longitudinal slot 40 and has a narrow projection 42 with atransverse shoulder 44. The bridge member 38 is bent outwardly from theblank 14 along a transverse bend line 46 and the projection 42 extendsthrough a hole 48 in the opposite side member 8. Since the bridge member38 is shorter than the bridge member 16, the distance between theopposite sides 32 and 34 is less than that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Theprojection 42 extends through the hole 48 and is bent downwardly in thesame manner as the projection 22 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, thebridge member 38 securely holds the upper ends of the side members 8with the desired spacing between them to receive a sill plate.

A second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4and 5. In this embodiment, the Side members 52 are formed from a singleone of the blanks 14 (FIG. 3) which is bent along the bend line 54. Anotch 56 is provided in the blank 14 to reduce the cross-sectional areaat the bend line 54. The longer bridge member 16 is bent outwardly fromthe blank 14. The projection 22 on the bridge member 16 extends throughthe hole 26. The inner side of the side member 52 abuts against theshoulder 24 and the projection 22 is bent downwardly to maintain theupper end of the side members 52 at the predetermined distancecorresponding to the width of a sill plate 58 which is received betweenthe opposite sides 60 and 62. The upper ends of the side members 52 arebent inwardly to form lateral portions 64 and 66 which overlap thebridge member 16. Nails 68 extend through holes in the opposite sides 60and 62 and in the lateral portions 66 and 68 to hold the sill plate 58securely in position.

If the device 50 is to be used for anchoring a narrow sill plate, theshorter bridge member 38 may be substituted for the longer bridge member16. Instead of bending the member 16 outwardly, as shown in FIG. 4, themember 38 is bent outwardly at the bend line 46 and the projection 42 isinserted through the hole 48 in the other side member 52. The projection42 is then bent downwardly in the same manner as the projection 22illustrated in FIG. 1.

The anchoring devices of this invention are installed by pushing thelower pointed end of the device 4 or 50 into wet concrete at the desiredlocation. The pointed lower end facilitates insertion of the device. Asthe side members 8 or 52 penetrate through the wet concrete, theconcerete slumps into the space on the upper side of the respective sidemembers, so that when it hardens, the concrete will completely surroundeach of the side members. The bridge member 16 serves as a stop forlimiting penetration of the anchor member in the wet concrete.Preferably, the bridge member 16 rests on the upper surface of theconcrete. The lateral portions 28 and 30 of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and64 and 66 of the embodiment of FIG. 4 are initially upright extensionsof the adjoining sides. After the concrete has hardened, the sill plate6 or 58 is inserted between the sides and tests on the bridge member 16.The lateral portions are then bent downwardly to overlap the top surfaceof the sill plate. Nails 36 or 68 are driven into the sill plate tosecure the plate to the anchor devrce.

The longer anchoring device of the embodiment of FIG. I may be of theorder of 15 inches, so that it extends downwardly through two courses ofcinder block, thereby providing a secure anchor for the sill plate. Theshorter anchor device, as shown in FIG. 4 may be of the order of 6inches in depth for use in concrete slabs, for example. Often a job sitewill require anchor devices of both the shorter and the longer lengths.Instead of having to purchase anchor bolts or other conventional devicesof different lengths, the anchoring device of this invention permits theuse of a single blank 14 to form either the shorter or longer type ofanchoring device. Also, the same blank 14 may be used for narrow or widesill plates. It is contemplated that the builder will maintain a stockof blanks l4 and assemble at the job site whatever length and widths ofanchoring devices are required. Since the blanks 14 are flat strips,very little storage space is required and these blanks may beshippedinexpensively to the job site.

The anchor devices in accordance with this invention ai'e particularlyuseful with prefabricated wall panels or prefabricated building units.The anchor devices are installed in the concrete and are aligned withthe desired position of a prefabricated wall panel. The lateral portions28 and 30 or 64 and 66 extend upwardly to allow the sill at the bottomof the wall panel to be received between the opposite sides 32 and 34 or60 and 62 of the anchor devices. Since the anchoring devices engage thesill along the opposite sides, there is no need to position the sillaccurately with respect to any one of the anchoring devices, as isnecessary when anchoring bolts are used. The wall panel may be securedin place by bending over the lateral portions of the anchoring devicesand nailing into the sill plate. if a wall stud should happen to bepositioned in the panel so that it interferes with the lateral portionsof the anchoring device, the lateral portions may remain upright and thenails may be driven into both the sill and the stud. The lateralportions may also remain upright if the center portion of theprefabricated panel is inaccessible.

While this invention has been illustrated and described in accordancewith several preferred embodiments, it is recognized that variations andchanges may be made therein without the departing from the invention asset forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An anchor device comprising a pair of elongated side members,connector means joining said side members together adjacent one end ofsaid side members, a bridge member extending between said side members,said bridge member being spaced from said connector means longitudinallyof said side members and said bridge member including means formaintaining a predetermined distance between said side members at saidbridge member, said side members including side portions spaced apart bysaid bridge member, said side members being formed of thin sheetmaterial, said bridge member being integral with one of said sidemembers, an additional bridge member integral with the other of saidside members, said bridge members having a length different from achother, whereby said predetermined distance between said side members maybe selected by using one or the other of said bridge members, andwhereby a sill plate may be positioned on said bridge member and betweensaid side portions and concrete may be cast around said side members tosecure said anchor device in place.

2. The anchor device according to claim ll wherein said side members arejoined together in a single integral strip, said connector meansincluding a bend substantially midway of the length of said strip.

3. The anchor device according to claim 1 wherein said connector meansincludes a connector element in each of said side members, saidconnector elements cooperating to join said side members together.

4. An anchor device comprising a pair of elongated side members,connector means joining the side members together adjacent one end of ofsaid side members, a bridge member extending between said side members,said bridge member being spaced from said con nector meanslongitudinally of said side members and said bridge member includingmeans for maintaining a predetermined distance between said side membersat said bridge member, said side members including side portions spacedapart by said bridge member, said side members being formed of thinsheet material, said bridge member being integral with one of said sidemembers and the other of said side members having a hole aligned withsaid bridge member, said bridge member having a projection and having ashoulder adjacent said projection, said projection extending throughsaid hole in said other side member and overlapping the outer side ofsaid other side member with said shoulder engaging the inner side ofsaid side member, whereby said bridge member securely positions saidside members relative to each other, and whereby a sill plate may bepositioned on said bridge member and said overlapping side portions inconcrete may be cast around said side members to secure said anchordevice in place.

5. An anchor device comprising a pair of elongated thin strips, each ofsaid strips having connector means cooperating to join said stripstogether adjacent one end of said strips, bridge means extending betweensaid strips adjacent the opposite end of said strips for maintainingsaid strips a predetermined distance apart from each other, said bridgemeans being integral with one of said strips, and said strips eachhaving side portions spaced apart by said bridge means, whereby a sillplate may be received between the side portions and secured in placewhen said stripsare imbedded in concrete.

6. An anchor device comprising a pair of elongated thin strips, each ofsaid strips having connector means cooperating to join said stripstogether adjacent one end of said strips, bridge means extending betweensaid strips adjacent the opposite end of said strips for maintainingsaid strips a predetermined distance apart from each other, and saidstrips each having side portions spaced apart by said bridge means, saidconnector means includes a key adjacent one end of each of said stripsand a slot adjacent the other end of each of said strips, one of saidkeys in one of said slots cooperating to join said strips together,whereby a sill plate may be received between said side portions andsecured in place when said strips are imbedded in concrete.

7. The anchor device according to claim 6 wherein said bridge meansincludes an elongated bridge member on one of said strips, said bridgemember extending between said strips and having a longitudinalprojection and a shoulder adjacent the end of said member, the other ofsaid strips having a hole aligned with said bridge member, said bridgemember projection extending through said hole and overlapping the outerside of said strip, said shoulder engaging the inner side of said strip,whereby a predetermined spacing is maintained between said strips bysaid bridge member.

d. The anchor device according to claim 7 wherein said bridge memberextends from adjacent one of the opposite lateral edges of said strip,and said hole in said other strip is adjacent one of the oppositelateral edges of said other strip in position to be aligned with saidbridge member.

92. An anchor device comprising an elongated strip having opposite ends,said strip having an acute angle bend substantially midway of its lengthto form a pair of side members in substantially opposed relation, abridge member extending between said side members, said bridge memberbeing spaced from said bend and being spaced from said strip ends, saidside members including side portions spaced apart by said bridge member,whereby a sill plate may be received between said strip ends forsecuring said plate in place when said side members are imbedded inconcrete.

' M. An anchor device comprising an elongated strip, said strip havingan angle bend substantially midway of its length to form a pair of sidemembers in substantially opposed relation, bridge means interconnectingsaid side members, said bridge member being spaced from said bend, saidside members including side portions spaced apart by said bridge means,said bridge means includes a bridge member projecting outwardly from oneof said side members, the other of said side members having a holetherein, said bridge member having a projection in a shoulder adjacentone end of said member, said projection extending through said hole andoverlapping the outer side of said side member and said projectionengaging the inner side of said side member, whereby said bridge membermaintains said side portions a predetermined distance apart from eachother and a sill plate may be received between said side portions forsecuring said plate in place when said side members are imbedded inconcrete.

11. The anchor device according to claim 10 wherein said bridge memberis adjacent one lateral edge of said side member and said hole and saidother side member is laterally offset and aligned with said bridgemember, said strip having a reduced cross-sectional area at said bendthan the cross-sectional area of said strip adjacent eral edges toreceive the end of a bridge member.

13. The blank according to claim 12 wherein said bridge members each hasa longitudinal projection and a lateral shoulder arranged forcooperation with one of said holes, and said strip includes nail holesadjacent opposite ends of said strip.

14. The blank according to claim 12 wherein said connecting meansincludes a longitudinal slot adjacent one end of said strip and a keyadjacent the opposite end of said strip.

1. An anchor device comprising a pair of elongated side members,connector means joining said side members together adjacent one end ofsaid side members, a bridge member extending between said side members,said bridge member being spaced from said connector means longitudinallyof said side members and said bridge member including means formaintaining a predetermined distance between said side members at saidbridge member, said side members including side portions spaced apart bysaid bridge member, said side members being formed of thin sheetmaterial, said bridge member being integral with one of said sidemembers, an additional bridge member integral with the other of saidside members, said bridge members having a length different from eachother, whereby said predetermined distance between said side members maybe selected by using one or the other of said bridge members, andwhereby a sill plate may be positioned on said bridge member and betweensaid side portions and concrete may be cast around said side members tosecure said anchor device in place.
 2. The anchor device according toclaim 1 wherein said side members are joined together in a singleintegral strip, said connector means including a bend substantiallymidway of the length of said strip.
 3. The anchor device according toclaim 1 wherein said connector means includes a connector element ineach of said side members, said connector elements cooperating to joinsaid side members together.
 4. An anchor device comprising a pair ofelongated side members, connector means joining the side memberstogether adjacent one end of of said side members, a bridge memberextending between said side members, said bridge member being spacedfrom said connector means longitudinally of said side members and saidbridge member including means for maintaining a predetermined distancebetween said side members at said bridge member, said side membersincluding side portions spaced apart by said bridge member, said sidemembers being formed of thin sheet material, said bridge member beingintegral with one of said side members and the other of said sidemembers having a hole aligned with said bridge member, said bridgemember having a projection and having a shoulder adjacent saidprojection, said projection extending through said hole in said otherside member and overlapping the outer side of said other side memberwith said shoulder engaging the inner side of said side member, wherebysaid bridge member securely positions said side members relative to eachother, and whereby a sill plate may be positioned on said bridge memberand said overlapping side portions in concrete may be cast around saidside members to secure said anchor device in place.
 5. An anchor devicecomprising a pair of elongated thin strips, each of said strips havingconnector means cooperating to join said strips together adjacent oneend of said strips, bridge means extending between said strips adjacentthe opposite end of said strips for maintaining said strips apredetermined distance apart from each other, said bridge means beingintegral with one of said strips, and said strips each having sideportions spaced apart by said bridge means, whereby a sill plate may bereceived between the side portions and secured in place when said stripsare imbedded in concrete.
 6. An anchor device comprising a pair ofelongated thin strips, each of said strips having connector meanscooperating to join said strips together adjacent one end of saidstrips, bridge means extending between said strips adjacent the oppositeend of said strips for maintaining said strips a predetermined distanceapart from each other, and said strips each having side portions spacedapart by said bridge means, said Connector means includes a key adjacentone end of each of said strips and a slot adjacent the other end of eachof said strips, one of said keys in one of said slots cooperating tojoin said strips together, whereby a sill plate may be received betweensaid side portions and secured in place when said strips are imbedded inconcrete.
 7. The anchor device according to claim 6 wherein said bridgemeans includes an elongated bridge member on one of said strips, saidbridge member extending between said strips and having a longitudinalprojection and a shoulder adjacent the end of said member, the other ofsaid strips having a hole aligned with said bridge member, said bridgemember projection extending through said hole and overlapping the outerside of said strip, said shoulder engaging the inner side of said strip,whereby a predetermined spacing is maintained between said strips bysaid bridge member.
 8. The anchor device according to claim 7 whereinsaid bridge member extends from adjacent one of the opposite lateraledges of said strip, and said hole in said other strip is adjacent oneof the opposite lateral edges of said other strip in position to bealigned with said bridge member.
 9. An anchor device comprising anelongated strip having opposite ends, said strip having an acute anglebend substantially midway of its length to form a pair of side membersin substantially opposed relation, a bridge member extending betweensaid side members, said bridge member being spaced from said bend andbeing spaced from said strip ends, said side members including sideportions spaced apart by said bridge member, whereby a sill plate may bereceived between said strip ends for securing said plate in place whensaid side members are imbedded in concrete.
 10. An anchor devicecomprising an elongated strip, said strip having an angle bendsubstantially midway of its length to form a pair of side members insubstantially opposed relation, bridge means interconnecting said sidemembers, said bridge member being spaced from said bend, said sidemembers including side portions spaced apart by said bridge means, saidbridge means includes a bridge member projecting outwardly from one ofsaid side members, the other of said side members having a hole therein,said bridge member having a projection in a shoulder adjacent one end ofsaid member, said projection extending through said hole and overlappingthe outer side of said side member and said projection engaging theinner side of said side member, whereby said bridge member maintainssaid side portions a predetermined distance apart from each other and asill plate may be received between said side portions for securing saidplate in place when said side members are imbedded in concrete.
 11. Theanchor device according to claim 10 wherein said bridge member isadjacent one lateral edge of said side member and said hole and saidother side member is laterally offset and aligned with said bridgemember, said strip having a reduced cross-sectional area at said bendthan the cross-sectional area of said strip adjacent said bend, wherebysaid reduced cross-sectional area causes said bend to form at theappropriate position in said strip.
 12. A blank for use in forming sillplate anchors comprising an elongated, substantially flat, thin strip,said strip having opposite lateral edges, a first longitudinal slot insaid strip adjacent one of said lateral edges and a second longitudinalslot adjacent the other of said edges, said slots each forming anelongated bridge member capable of being bent perpendicular to saidstrip, and holes in said strip adjacent said opposite lateral edges toreceive the end of a bridge member.
 13. The blank according to claim 12wherein said bridge members each has a longitudinal projection and alateral shoulder arranged for cooperation with one of said holes, andsaid strip includes nail holes adjacent opposite ends of said strip. 14.The blank according to claim 12 wherein said connecting Means includes alongitudinal slot adjacent one end of said strip and a key adjacent theopposite end of said strip.